Music: {allcanada} TFC captain Frings announces retirement

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

{allcanada} TFC captain Frings announces retirement

TORONTO – The mystery over the future of Toronto FC captain Torsten Frings has finally been cleared up.

He's retiring.

The 36-year-old former German international is calling it a career, and is scheduled to formally announce his retirement during a Tuesday morning press conference at BMO Field.

Frings cited a lingering hip injury as the reason for his retirement.

"During pre-season we discovered that my recovery would take longer than expected. I always want to do what's best for the team and that is why I have decided to step away," Frings said in a news release.

"I really enjoyed my time in Toronto and playing for Toronto FC. I wish the club all the best this season and hopefully they can continue to embrace the winning spirit that I brought to the team."

Frings' future at the club became the hot topic of discussion earlier this month when TFC said he left pre-season training camp in Florida and returned to Toronto for personal reasons.

That led to speculation that the German midfielder was not fully recovered from hip surgery or that TFC was looking to buy out the final year of his contract.

Frings joined Toronto FC along with Dutch striker Danny Koevermans in June 2011. With 79 caps for Germany to his credit and having played at the 2002 and 2006 World Cup, Frings was easily Toronto's most high-profile and accomplished designated player.

But injuries restricted Frings to 33 league games during his tenure with the club, as he struggled to display the deft touch and sublime passing skills that made him a star earlier in his career with Bundesliga teams such as Werder Breman, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

Frings saw his 2012 MLS season cut short last September with a hip injury. He underwent surgery but last month he told local reporters that he was fully fit and would be ready to play on the opening day of the new MLS campaign. He also reaffirmed that he was looking forward to playing in the final season of his contract with TFC.

Newly acquired veteran Brazilian Julio Cesar will likely fill Frings' holding midfield role.

"Everyone is sorry that Torsten will be unable to lead our team this year but the injury he had often requires a lengthy period of rehab, and that is the case here," Toronto FC President Kevin Payne said in a news release.

"We appreciate Torsten's commitment to Toronto FC and are pleased he has agreed to work with us, particularly in Europe, on future projects. We part as the best of friends and wish him nothing but the best."

With a salary of $2.43-million, Frings was the highest-paid Toronto FC player in 2012, although only $350,000 of that counted against the cap. With Frings gone, that valuable cap space is now freed up, as is another designated player spot on the roster.

Eric Hassli, another DP, was traded to FC Dallas earlier this month for a draft pick. Koevermans is the last DP on TFC's roster but he's still recovering from knee surgery, and is not expected to return to the line-up until June at the earliest.

Toronto opens the news MLS season on the road against the Vancouver Whitecaps on March 2.